The Great Debate

[Debi2007]

Organic vs. Non-organic. Healthy vs. Natural. The labels drive me crazy. However, my husband and I decided to go organic a couple weeks ago.

Hilarious when we went grocery shopping yesterday and we both have our own idea of what healthy really is. So... we are quietly debating in the store about certain products being healthy or not healthy. Needless to say - the man I adore is getting seriously aggitated with me because we are not on the same page whatsoever...lol.

The final result was that we purchased mostly organic products without even looking at the prices. We got everything we needed for the week. We stayed totally within our budget. I was certain it would go over, but it didn't.

So, the first great debate took place over a box of cereal for our son. My husband bought it last week when he shopped. It was a new product and the labeling made it "look" healthy. The word "NATURALS" was displayed beautifully across the top and it was a healthy version of a popular kids cereal.

So... I looked at the label today in the store and compared it with some of the organic cereals. Turns out it wasn't that natural or healthy. When I got home I looked up one of the ingredients online.

This was the description of that ingredient -

"available at most hardware stores in white powder form, is a chemical cleaning agent, stain remover and degreaser, commonly used to prepare surfaces for painting"

In addition this chemical is in the pesticide database and says: "Toxic to humans and aquatic organisms, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity."


Agh!!! Horrible.

Meat has hormones and steroids. Vegetables and fruits are covered in pesticides. Processed foods contain so many chemicals that they don't even have to list over 1000 of them because the list would be too long to fit on the package. Chemical sweetners are making people sick. High fructose corn syrup is causing addictions to food. MSG is poison. Trans-fat will destroy your heart. I could go on and on.

So... in the organic vs non-organic debate... ORGANIC WINS for me! It isn't an easy transition but one that I feel is one worth the effort.

Go buy something organic today!!!

[jimmie 48]

Re: The Great Debate

thanks for posting this, debi.

what kind of organic veggies did you buy and have you had a chance to eat any of them yet? can you tell a marked difference from organic to non?

[Miss Phode]

Re: The Great Debate

I always prefer to buy organic vs. conventional. I wish I could find a source of organic grass fed beef that didn't cost an arm and a leg, but when it come to produce I always head for organic first.

Thanks for the post.

[Mirya]

Re: The Great Debate

I completely agree with you that food should be pesticide, fungicide & chemical free. The true definition of the word "organic" taken from
The American Heritage Science Dictionary means:
organic (ôr-gān'ĭk)

1. Involving organisms or the products of their life processes.
2. Relating to chemical compounds containing carbon, especially hydrocarbons.
3. Using or produced with fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin.
4. Relating to or affecting organs or an organ of the body. An organic disease is one in which there is a demonstrable abnormality on physical examination, laboratory testing, or other diagnostic studies.

SO in all truthfullness the majority of what we eat is not organic. It is chemically grown. This is why I felt healthier when I lived on the farm because we grew our own food. When you REALLY TRULY think about what you buy and don't blindly buy or pick without thought this is actually kind of scary.

If in fact the entire population demanded the foods be grown pesticide and fungicide and chemical free we would be paying WAY more than we do now for EVERYTHING. This being because without pesticides, fungicides and chemicals the food would be subject to insect infection, molds and fungi, rot, not grow as well, or not grow at all. The produce and grains harvest would be so pitiful and so miniscule that there would not be enough to feed the world. The only way this could be done is in completely sanitized and completely sterile environment. I WISH terribly this was possible but in fact we pay a hefty price to get better quality products with our lives.

What was that chemical that was in the cereal....


What's YOUR life worth? Your childrens? Your parents? Your friends? Your neighbors? Your pets?As you can see what we destroy and poison affects everyone and everything around us? It is not cheaper. In the long run its more expensive you just do not realize the price until you pay or THEY pay!

[Debi2007]

Re: The Great Debate

I don't have the box of cereal anymore. I really don't want to debate...lol... I was actually using the "Great Debate" title because it was a debate in our house for a few weeks. I know that organic uses botanical pesticides, but the result is less toxicity in your body. The chemicals in the botanical and mineral pesticides break down much faster and therefore are not as harming to the body, if at all. There are far less allergens and the cancer causing agents are removed. (as far as I have read)

Jimmie - I don't know that I notice a difference in flavor most times. I know that the shelf life is so much different. Things do not last as long when they are organic - so that is a good sign.

[Mirya]

Re: The Great Debate

I don't have the box of cereal anymore. I really don't want to debate...lol... I was actually using the "Great Debate" title because it was a debate in our house for a few weeks. I know that organic uses botanical pesticides, but the result is less toxicity in your body. The chemicals in the botanical and mineral pesticides break down much faster and therefore are not as harming to the body, if at all. There are far less allergens and the cancer causing agents are removed. (as far as I have read)

Jimmie - I don't know that I notice a difference in flavor most times. I know that the shelf life is so much different. Things do not last as long when they are organic - so that is a good sign.

wasn't debating. i was just curious for myself cause for chemicals like that to be in cereal thats kind of scary. my post was just a general statement of how deadly the way things are grown can be. I thought my post agreed with but if it was read as debating your post I apologize as thats not how it is meant.

[Debi2007]

Re: The Great Debate

I didn't keep the box. I wish I had, but I don't remember the name of the chemical ingredients. They were big names...lol. I have always tried to live by the rule that if you can't pronounce it or you don't know what it is... then don't eat it. That is sooooo hard these days. I wish I had a huge farm and could grow my own food, but who has time.

I was just generalizing about the no-debate comment realizing from your post that people would probably come in and toss out the idea that organic is actually better for you.

[jimmie 48]

Re: The Great Debate

not sure who i'm talking to... i think all of y'all.

i hate the north, i hate the cold! BUT one thing i have now at my disposal that i didn't have before was fresh meat. i mean fresh, straight off the cow or pig.
i buy most of our meat at a place called Newswanger's. the place is owned and run by some of the Mennonites in our area. they raise/buy from the locals, butcher and sell the meat on site. no preservatives and yes, that means a shorter frig life. i've bought breakfast sausage and within 3 days it had to be thrown out. i've learned better now.
the point is, this meat does taste different. i know it has to be healthier for us. and to beat it all, it's cheaper.

that's why i was curious about the veggies.

[julirama723]

Re: The Great Debate

Organic fruits and veggies are not affordable where I live. I wish they were. But my wallet is not big enough for such things. And by the time they do arrive here, they're already halfway spoiled. When we move to a larger city, organic is what we'll be eating.

We ARE lucky though, because we buy our beef and pork right from the slaughterhouse. The beef/pork is all locally raised on huge ranches, and it's as fresh as you can get. In the summer, we buy fresh eggs and produce from the Hutterites.

Organic/homegrown/locally grown is the way to go! If you can afford it or if you can find it.

[Debi2007]

Re: The Great Debate

Oh... yes. Meat does taste different. I don't like it as much...lol. I forgot about that. We got some really expensive grass fed beef... no bad stuff. It was really different. We didn't like it much but the funny thing was... it smelled SO great when cooking. It was just the taste that was a little different and we figured we would get used to it. I also notice with our hotdogs - that there is a difference in flavor. It isn't huge but it is there.

[Mirya]

Re: The Great Debate

not sure who i'm talking to... i think all of y'all.

i hate the north, i hate the cold! BUT one thing i have now at my disposal that i didn't have before was fresh meat. i mean fresh, straight off the cow or pig.
i buy most of our meat at a place called Newswanger's. the place is owned and run by some of the Mennonites in our area. they raise/buy from the locals, butcher and sell the meat on site. no preservatives and yes, that means a shorter frig life. i've bought breakfast sausage and within 3 days it had to be thrown out. i've learned better now.
the point is, this meat does taste different. i know it has to be healthier for us. and to beat it all, it's cheaper.

that's why i was curious about the veggies.

Jimmy be careful wth that, even the mennonites and amish will get animal feed that has chemicals in it that ge fed to te cows and pigs. Not saying its intentional but its hard not to give that most get theirs from feed stores so unless the feed stores are individually owned and processed your probably still getting chemicals.

I totally LOVE fresh pork and beef. it is sooooooo much more tasty than the garbage we buy in stores. even home raised turkey, chicken, goose, and duck all taste better.

[Debi2007]

Re: The Great Debate

I think it is safe to say that unless we break down the chemical aspects of our food within our own home scientifically ...lol... yes impossible - there is no way to know exactly what is in our food. Honestly sometimes it drives me a bit crazy. Maybe it is because I am getting older and see the value of a couple added years. I just wonder who you can really trust anymore. Then, on top of it all... I read an article about organic farming and no pesticides, yet the soil itself was full of horrible things and the vegetables were grown in that. *sigh* I guess you just have to do the best you can and do what makes you feel safe and healthy.

I remember the days when I didn't have the awareness of organic and natural food products. It was so much more simple then.

All in all it is nice to see the awareness for eating healthy. It is sad that so many people are sick because of the foods we eat.

[sadie147]

Re: The Great Debate

Like Juli organic stuff is barely affordable here too. a pound of organic butter is around $8 compared to $4 for regular. Organic milk is ridiculous too...

When i see organic fruits or veggies on sale i do try to buy them, meat, i don't see often. The one fruit that i really notice a difference with is strawberries. regular strawberries are huge, and not as colourful (sometimes part of them is still white) and don't have much flavour, where the organic strawberries are really small, and bright red, and taste awesome! Though i've read you should wash organic strawberries VERY well, as alot of times the fertilizer used is manure...and strawberries grow very close to te ground. not sure how much truth there is to that?

I've also heard that buying any fruits or veggies with a thick skin like pineapple, bananas, melons etc is not worth paying the organic price for?

Actually lately I've been really trying to cut down the use of chemicals all together in my house. I've switched to a new (new here anyway tyou probably already had it there) soap/cleaning line called Method that is supposed to be more friendly/less chemical. I clean my counters with vinegar and water, and i've stopped using Febreeze all together (that stuff scares me!). though i'm still sticking with my tide detergent and gain softener. not ready to give those up yet!

[Chicklady]

Re: The Great Debate

Oh... yes. Meat does taste different. I don't like it as much...lol. I forgot about that. We got some really expensive grass fed beef... no bad stuff. It was really different. We didn't like it much but the funny thing was... it smelled SO great when cooking. It was just the taste that was a little different and we figured we would get used to it. I also notice with our hotdogs - that there is a difference in flavor. It isn't huge but it is there.

A lot of this depends on where your grass fed meat comes from----I noticed grass fed from the northeast is much stronger than that from down south or southwest. I venture to guess that it's the types of grass and forage the critters get.

[quotidianlight]

Re: The Great Debate

not sure who i'm talking to... i think all of y'all.

i hate the north, i hate the cold! BUT one thing i have now at my disposal that i didn't have before was fresh meat. i mean fresh, straight off the cow or pig.
i buy most of our meat at a place called Newswanger's. the place is owned and run by some of the Mennonites in our area. they raise/buy from the locals, butcher and sell the meat on site. no preservatives and yes, that means a shorter frig life. i've bought breakfast sausage and within 3 days it had to be thrown out. i've learned better now.
the point is, this meat does taste different. i know it has to be healthier for us. and to beat it all, it's cheaper.

that's why i was curious about the veggies.

I am so jealous right now it isn't even funny!